HR and Staffing

By Tamsin Kaplan Every cannabis employer should have in place an employee handbook tailored to meet the needs of its business goals and workplace culture, and to ensure compliance with all applicable state and federal laws. I. Why Should Cannabis Businesses Have An Employee Handbook? A well-crafted employee handbook will support the success of your […]

Stefania Zilinskas knows she’s made an “incredibly risky” move. The 34-year-old left her job as a securities lawyer at Blakes, Cassels and Graydon LLP in July after a five year tenure and a path to partnership. But Zilinskas says she gave up the chance to climb to the top of one of Canada’s biggest law […]

PRESS RELEASE Clarence Foster brings more than 20 years of experience leading human resources at Nissan, Yamaha, L’Oreal, McDonald’s and ExxonMobil LOS ANGELES–(BUSINESS WIRE)–MedMen Enterprises Inc. (“MedMen” or the “Company”) (CSE: MMEN) (OTCQB: MMNFF) (FSE: A2JM6N) today announced the hiring of Clarence Foster as its new senior vice president of human resources. Foster brings to […]

It’s ‘a lot like when Prohibition ended,’ recruiter says. Industry employment in U.S. seen doubling from 160,000 by 2022 Mainstream executives want in on the cannabis craze. That’s not surprising, with the value of some Canadian pot businesses topping $10 billion and Coca-Cola Co. and Molson Coors Brewing Co. eyeing marijuana as the next trendy ingredient. […]

A New Jersey business does not have to waive its requirement for mandatory drug testing for a worker who uses medical marijuana, a federal court has ruled. Daniel Cotto Jr. of Bridgeton had sued Ardagh Glass citing the New Jersey Law Against Discrimination after the company wouldn’t allow him to return to his job unless he […]

The passage of California’s Proposition 64 in 2016 legalized recreational marijuana use for people aged 21 and older. But there has been some confusion as to what exactly the legalization of recreational cannabis entails, especially when it comes to the workplace. There are questions on both sides: Are employers still allowed to drug test? Can […]

A nationwide patchwork of regulations is beginning to upend the traditional assumptions about drugs in the workplace. There are many reasons for employers to promote and enforce a drug-free workplace policy and to engage in drug testing of employees. Some employers are mandated by law to have drug testing programs. Many employers choose to drug […]

The amended Massachusetts Equal Pay Act (MEPA) goes into effect July 1, 2018. The purpose of the new law is to ensure that all workers in Massachusetts are paid equally for comparable work performed and to provide the opportunity to earn competitive salaries in the workplace. This new law imposes strict equal pay obligations on […]

A study by Quest Diagnostics released earlier this month, the Quest Diagnositcs Drug Testing Index (DTI), reported that based on more than 10 million workplace drug tests, the number of workers who tested positive for marijuana is on a 5-year upward trajectory. Overall, the research found that the number of positive marijuana urine tests increased […]

ALIQUIPPA — Most 26-year-olds don’t have to keep track of their various medications with an oversized seven-day pill box. But it’s a reality for Evan D’Orazio, who spread numerous bottles of prescription and over-the-counter medications he’s been taking to treat his fibromyalgia symptoms across his kitchen counter on a rainy spring afternoon. Since he was […]

SALEM, Ore. — To the beat of electronic dance music, men and women inside a slate-gray building harvested marijuana plants festooned with radio-frequency identification tags. In another room, an employee entered the tag numbers into a government database. The cannabis tracking system used by Avitas, a marijuana company with a production facility in Salem, is […]

Whether testing for pot or not, having a clear policy is most important, experts say Employers are facing a conundrum. Should they stop testing applicants for marijuana use now that more states have legalized it for medicinal or recreational purposes and popular acceptance of the substance has spread? Twenty-eight states and the District of Columbia […]

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) holds a panel on state and national drug law each year at its employment law and legislative conference, but this year, shifts in state law — and deep tragedy — have brought the issue to the forefront. James Reidy, attorney at Sheehan Phinney Bass & […]

As marijuana legalization continues to expand rapidly, many employers are grappling with how to update their drug policies without employee privacy going up in smoke. At a time when the labor market is tightening, employers in some states report more candidates are also failing drug tests. Kathy Bray, president of Denham Resources, an HR consulting […]

Over the past few weeks, story after story has come to light of sexual assault and sexual harassment in the entertainment industry. But though high-profile actors, directors, and producers are getting most of the press attention right now, the vast majority of workplace sexual harassment is experienced by low-wage hourly employees, often in small businesses. […]

A giant window opened up when Californians approved the adult use of cannabis a few months ago. Startups and companies looking to expand are taking advantage of the opening, but they have to act fast. As time goes on, it’s going to keep narrowing and could completely shut down once big businesses start streaming into the market. […]

It’s all about who you know. In the high-velocity world of cannabis companies, this mantra is so true. When starting out or expanding into new territory, with limited resources and an uncertain future, companies often don’t have all the knowledge, skills or talents they need in-house. A well-built ecosystem provides a solid network of trusted partners that can […]

A critical element of successful leadership is appreciating the spotlight. Leaders are in the spotlight. People are watching them. Closely. Assiduously. They’re the subject of the floodlights’ glare. The aperture is set for widest exposure where all images are captured with precise focus. As such, leaders’ actions are magnified and the shadows behind looms large, […]